Is Shakespeare A Hero Or A Villain Research Paper

Shakespeare presents Macbeth more extensively as a villain using methods which would be more understood in the era the play was composed, which was the Jacobean period, but influenced by the reign of Elizabeth. During the Elizabethan period people were preoccupied with the supernatural, which is one of the main topics in Shakespeare’s play. In my opinion Shakespeare structures the play to make the audience see Macbeth transforming from a hero into a villain, we can also see how Macbeth’s character transfigures from a valiant, noble soldier to a deceitful traitor.

Shakespeare is universally revered for his characterization of flawed and psychologically unstable protagonists. Hamlet is a crazed, murdering prince, Lear is narcissistic, senile, and a verbally abusive father, and Macbeth is a murderous traitor to his king and country. These unfavorable and evil attributes serve Shakespeare's main characters by presenting them as realistically written men, and there always seems a degree, however small, of sympathy associated with their respective downfalls and tragedies. Othello, however, is an anomaly.

The question that has me writing this essay is whether MacBeth is a tragic hero or a villain. This paper will show the writers point of view of weather The writer thinks MacBeth is a tragic hero or a villian. We start off the story by McBeth being in war against Ireland. After winning the war between Ireland and McBeth's army, The king of Sweden, king Sweno, tries to invade McBeth. McBeth and his soldiers were ruthless and took on his army and ended up as victors of the war. In this act I believe that McBeth is so far still a good person. In the writers opinion McBeth as far as now is considered a tragic hero. In the future there are many more examples of whether McBeth is a tragic hero or a villain. In the deeds that McBeth commit throughout

The tragedy of Macbeth could simply be the tale of a hero who is destroyed by a certain weakness of character, by ambition

A character’s tragic downfall is often influenced by other characters, but this is not the case in Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth. Macbeth conforms to the conditions of a tragic hero because in the beginning of the play, Macbeth is an honourable and trustworthy nobleman to King Duncan and all of Scotland. However, throughout the play, Macbeth commits evil deeds such betrayal, treason, and murder solely because of his ambitions to remain in power. Macbeth murders others upon hearing the witches’ prophecies and even proceeds to return to them to remain in power. Macbeth is influenced and manipulated by his wife Lady Macbeth and The Witches, but he is ultimately responsible for his own tragic downfall. Macbeth’s tragic downfall is caused by his ‘vaulting ambition’ to become king. Thus, Macbeth has no one but his ruthless, cruel, and greedy self to blame for his own tragic downfall.

Macbeth is one such character. Driven by ambition, by the faith that "If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me, Without my stir," (Act I Scene III), Macbeth is set, from the very beginning, on the path of doom and downfall. The fall is made more spectacular by the heights from which Shakespeare chooses to push his character. It is for this purpose, remarks A W Verity, that the playwright "whitens the character of Duncan and blackens the character of Macbeth in a  corresponding degree, for obvious purposes of contrast: he whitens the character of Banquo for the same purpose, but also from a personal and complimentary motive; and he makes Lady Macbeth less odious.... at least unselfish. "Holinshed's Duncan is a young and incapable king, "too soft and gentle of nature," and altogether dependent on Macbeth and Banquo.... His reign, we are told by historians, was as unfortunate as it was brief. Shakespeare's Duncan, a man of years (we are made to feel), is "every inch a king," a regal, illustrious figure; gracious, indeed, and gentle, yet strong withal and capable...."

According to Merriam-Webster and Literary Terms a villain is a deliberate scoundrel or criminal who plots to somehow cause harm or ruin to another character. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, Cassius is the villain because he does not admit what he is doing is wrong. He kills Caesar and gets other people to help him do so and the only way he can have a reputation is by having power.

The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare recounts Macbeth's meteoric rise as a soldier and promising future leader whose megalomaniacal ambition led to his tragic downfall. In addition to Macbeth's ambitions, which initially enable him to be strong leader and soldier, he is influenced heavily by his wife, Lady Macbeth, and the three witches that prophesize his ascent to the throne, as well as warn him of his eventual demise. It can be argued that it is Macbeth's ambition that allows him to succeed in his endeavors, however the goals to which he is working toward influence the results of his hard work. Macbeth's ambitions help him to become a war hero, and as his goals change, his ambitions drive him to become a tyrannical villain.

The villains Shakespeare creates for his plays are always intricate characters. These characters do not carry the simple simplicity of just being evil; they are unique specimens of human emotion. The reasons behind their actions are sometimes unclear and their motives unsound. This is what draws the reader to these rogues: connections are sought and found. In Hamlet, Claudius is an ambitious king with no legitimate reason to be on the throne. In Macbeth, Macbeth is a devious general who, through ambition, steals the throne. The actions of each are both fueled by their lofty aspirations.

Shakespeare's play Macbeth shows the roots of all evil, our own human nature. The play is centered on the coexistence of good and evil. Macbeth, unlike any other Shakespeare play has the protagonist convert to evil. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is shown as a hero in the Scottish army, that is ironic because Macbeth defeats a traitor and he himself becomes one later. Macbeth knows his place in the world. He is fully capable of distinguishing between right and wrong. Macbeth purposely disregards his own moral judgment to rise to power which is again ironic and goes against his own beliefs. Macbeth stands as a symbol for Satan's sin of ambition. Like Satan, Macbeth's thirst for power and ambition drives him to commit evil.Contrary to

A story’s protagonist is often a fantastical representation of the story’s population, such as terrific archer Katniss Everdeen in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games or dreamy gentleman Mr. Darcy in Jane Austen 's Pride and Prejudice. Shakespeare follows this popular pattern in his literature, oftentimes including a twist; many times the main character is defined as a tragic hero. Macbeth embodies the essence of a tragic hero, exemplifying the traits defined in the Holt McDougal Literature textbook. His murderous tragic flaw is the beginning of said tyrant’s end however, as relationships become poisonous and loyalties are defined following the progression of the story.

Villains play a very important role in every literary work. Whether they exist as people, circumstances, or even nature, their purpose is to provide a problem to be solved by the “good guys”. Without villains, no piece of literature would be worth reading. Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and Iago in Shakespeare’s Othello are master villains. Both antagonists are fuelled by thoughts of revenge, and rely heavily on deception and manipulation to get what they want.

Since the earliest generations in literature there have been stories about good and evil, right and wrong, hell and heaven, and heroes and villains. The most popular heroes and villains today are found in comic books, on TV, and in movies. Although these super heroes and villains are very popular, some of the best moral based characters were written a long time ago. Shakespeare spent his time writing all sorts of stories; one of his most popular is, The Tragedy of Macbeth. This thrilling tale is full of wicked plots and unexpected turns. These evil plans are manifested by the villains of the story. While it is very common for stories to feature only one villain, this tale has two Throughout the play, the “true villain” of the story shifts from Lady Macbeth, who convinced her husband to murder King Duncan, to Macbeth, who later in the story continues to brutally slaughter innocent people without his wife’s persuasion.

   William Shakespeare has written many literary works - from his sonnets to his plays, each has it's own individual characteristics.  One popular characteristic that comes from his plays is the tragic hero.  The audience can always relate to the tragic hero and the many trials he faces.  Macbeth and Hamlet are just two of Shakespeare's plays that involve the tragic hero.  Through their nobility, tragic flaws, and dignity Macbeth and Hamlet prove to be tragic heroes.